Chennai Airport will see more international flights with airlines adding new routes.
What’s it about? The frequency of international flights at the airport will increase as many airlines add new destinations and routes. A new terminal will be opened for international flights. Despite handling more international flights than Bengaluru, the total aircraft movement is low. It ranks fifth among metros.
- The number of international flights will double with the new integrated terminal opening next month. New ground-handling companies have been hired as AAI looks to help Chennai regain its edge.
- IndiGo will begin flights to Bahrain next month. Air France will increase its frequency from 3 to 5 flights a week. Air Arabia will increase its frequency from 2 to 3 per week.
Numbers: In December 2022, the Chennai airport handled 2,819 international aircraft compared to a little over 2,000 the previous year. During the same period, it handled more than 4.5 lakh international passengers, an increase of 85% from December 2021. AAI is investing ₹2,000 crore to expand the airport’s capacity to 35 million passengers and 45 flights per hour.